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on 1/31/05 9:20 PM, Joe Shields at jshields{at}POST-GAZETTE.COM wrote:
> As one who has enjoyed practicing celestial navigation and collecting and
> reading everything I can find on the subject, the book "A Star To Steer Her
> By" has eluded me. I think it was out of print when I first looked for it,
> but it is available now, used and new, so I bought a copy.
> Now I wish I hadn't. Chapter 2 has several diagrams that are most
> upsetting. They show a FLAT earth with a celestial object so close to the
> earth surface as to suggest the difference in measured angle with the
> horizon (Ho) is due to the fact that the object's rays are approaching at a
> different angle instead of the object's parallel rays hitting different
> spots on the earth at different angles due to curved surface of the earth
> (ignoring horizontal parallax for the moon). While on the surface (no pun
> intended) it may not make that much difference (in both cases, the further
> one is from directly under the object the less the angle with the horizon
> [Ho]), to me it is so essential an understanding that I feel the author does
> more harm then good with his book, regardless of the merit of his later
> chapters.
>
> I bought a used 4th printing edition (1994)... somebody please tell me these
> diagrams have been fixed in a more current edition.
>
> -- Joe Shields
>
Joe,
Thank you for the "heads-up". This book has had a good following over a
number of years, but we have not carefully analyzed it as you have. it's
error is one which I frequently caution beginners to beware of. We will
phase it out of our catalog.
Ken Gebhart/ Celestaire